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Last place Detroit Tigers have fired general manager Al Avila after 8 seasons

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USA Today Network

After posting losing records in seven of the last eight seasons, the Detroit Tigers have fired general manager Al Avila.

On Wednesday, the team made the news official with a statement via their Twitter account from team Chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch.

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“Once I decided to make a change, I sat down with Al and thanked him for his nearly 22 years of service to our organization. … I want to re-establish our momentum and progress towards building a winning team and I am driven to find a talented executive to help us do that. … Tigers fans deserve winning teams, and I’m highly focused and committed to deliver that to the people of Detroit and Michigan. … To be clear, our goals are to build a team that wins on a sustainable basis, qualifies for the playoffs, and ultimately wins the World Series.”

Detroit Tigers assistant GM Sam Menzin takes over in interim role

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Credit: USA Today Network

The press release also added that Ilitch will meet with the media at a press conference to discuss his decision at 5:15 PM ET. Vice President and Assistant GM Sam Menzin will not take over the role as general manager in an interim capacity.

Avila began his tenure with the Tigers in 2002 as an assistant general manager. He was promoted to his most recent job in August of 2015 after previous GM Dave Dombrowski was released from his contract.

“For nearly 22 years, I have given my heart and soul to this franchise, and I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch, along with Chris, for the opportunity and treating me and my family as their own. We’ve celebrated successes and enjoyed great moments, and I’m proud to have worked with so many talented people in baseball operation and throughout the organization.”

Al Avila’s statement on his dismissal

While Avila paints a rosy picture, his tenure in the top job was filled with very few successes. As the man behind the product that went on the field, the team only had one winning year (2016) over the last seven and half seasons. While serving as GM, the Tigers’ record was 478-660 and included a 114-loss season in 2019.

The team entered 2022 with hopes that they could surprise in an American League Central division that lacks a powerhouse club. However, the team is currently in last place with a 43-68 record, which is the third worst in MLB.

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